Of the 65 online therapy companies we tested, Talkiatry stands out as the most user-friendly option for psychiatric services. Its range of ages served (starting at 5 years old), longer-than-average appointment times, and ability to prescribe a wider variety of medications, such as controlled substances, sets Talkiatry apart.
Talkiatry requires insurance to use its services, which means it is not a good fit for people without insurance or those who prefer not to use their insurance for psychiatry services. Because of this, the cost of the service varies based on your insurance benefits. It also does not accept Medicaid, so people with Medicaid would need to seek support elsewhere.
Raki Swanson, a health writer, tested medication management services on Talkiatry for us and had an overall positive experience with her provider. “The first session was very relaxing, and it was really easy to talk with the therapist,” she says. She also notes that the flow of the conversation seemed natural, and even though the provider did have a set of questions she had to ask during the intake session, “she didn’t seem like she was asking them from a paper.”
An initial appointment with a Talkiatry psychiatrist is 60 minutes, with follow-up appointments typically lasting 30 minutes. This is a great advantage of this platform, as many follow-up psychiatry appointments, both in person and online, tend to be around 15 minutes in length. Additionally, Talkiatry psychiatrists can prescribe controlled substances, including benzodiazepines and stimulant medications, when appropriate, while most other online psychiatry platforms cannot.
It is also worth noting that Talkiatry accepts children as young as 5 years old as patients. This offering is impressive, especially considering the average wait time for an appointment with a child psychiatrist is seven to eight weeks, according to a 2018 study.
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While Talkiatry provides mental health medication management for many different diagnoses, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, it does not provide treatment for schizophrenia or eating disorders. It is also important to point out that even though Talkiatry does have therapists, you can’t see one unless you’re already seeing a Talkiatry psychiatrist.